Should anyone, for whatever reason be reading this: this is an AAR (After Action Report) of the Grand Strategy game Europa Universalis 4. I am playing this with all DLCs that have been released up to this point, as well as several mods that enhance gameplay and add events, the most prolific of which is the "1356" mod, which extends the game back to the year 1356, overhauling the game to include new nations, events, and technologies that reflect the time. I am playing as a custom nation, that I have designed to fit with the roleplaying. I have tried my best to not make it overpowered, and to balance it between the 3 mana categories- Administrative, Diplomatic, and Military.

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My nation- I have created an (obviously) fictional nation called Brandenburg-Teutonia. I have created this country and put it in the 1356 start date through the Custom nation creator which was introduced in the DLC El Dorado. I have tried to balance the National Ideas and other boosts between the three Mana categories: Administrative, Diplomatic, and Military. Anyways, let's begin:

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There is a sickness in the city of Königsberg. Ever since the winter began, in the November of 1354, smallpox had ravaged the Teutonic Orders's seat of power. Deep in the city, Winirich von Kniprode, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, lay dying. He knew that the pestilence would claim him soon, and the pious man did what anyone would've done in his situation: he prepared for what would come after himself. For the continuation of his Knightly Order, for his remaining family members, and for the church. The one thing that he had not yet prepared for was the future governance of his Duchy. The worthiest leaders for the Duchy lay dead or dying, and with the bulking land-greedy Holy Roman Empire to the west, and the last heretic Romuva state of Lithuania which lay like vultures to the east, eyeing the souls of the Prussians, Winirich knew that this was the end of the Baltic Crusader State. But what might've seemed like the end of the world to the caterpillar, was just the beginning for the butterfly.

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On January 13th, 1356, Winirich von Kniprode was found dead in his chambers. On top of his desk, demanding the attention of all who gazed upon it, was the Grand Master's order: the Duchy of Prussia, the land controlled by the Knights, was to be given to the Duke of Brandenburg, Ludwig II. Two weeks later, when the Duke of Brandenburg was informed his domain had doubled in size overnight, the Saxon ruler's face paled and he uttered a phrase that would reverberate throughout the history of the nation: " Die Welt hat einen neuen Albtraum zu befürchten," "The world has a new nightmare to fear." The following 6 months were chaotic: The Duke's son and heir, Otto, died in a freak hunting accident, the residents of Prussia were in a state of near- constant revolt, the Teutonic Knights denounced the Saxon duke, and The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV, became furious that Prussia would not be included in the Holy Roman Empire's control. Ludwig II, knowing that internal and external pressures would eventually choke the swollen nation to death, he called for a meeting in Danzig, between himself, the Teutonic Knights, and anyone important enough to have any sway in the matters discussed.

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On September 1st, 1356, The Congress of Danzig commenced. The Duke, the new leader of the Teutonic Knighthood, Albrecht von Ermland, and a vast array of the most distinguished and powerful Burghers and Junkers met to decide the future of the nation. They argued and debated for weeks, every member's stance and idea reported to the other nations of Christian Europe and the commoners with updates being sent out every day. Eventually, the Congress concluded on October 15th, with the following tenants having been decided upon: The Teutonic Knights would be allowed to govern the land formally theirs, as long as they respect the rule of the Duke and provide him with a number of troops and taxes. The heirless and ageing Duke Ludwig II would agree to surrender the ducal throne to a noble elected by the members of the nobility in attendance. (this was a one-time thing that I included for roleplaying/lore reasons, I did not play as an elective monarchy) The one caveat was that the elected Noble would have to be of Prussian culture, as they were now the majority of the nation's population. The man chosen was Werner, the Count of Bismarck, a smaller town on the edge of the Duchy. The final tenant of the Congress was the renaming of the Duchy of Brandenburg to the Duchy of Brandenburg- Teutonia, to reflect the two parts of the nation: the Teutonic-controlled Prussia, and the areas loyal directly to the Duke. October 15th would be recognized as the beginning of Brandenburg- Teutonia, and would become a date celebrated for centuries to come.

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Nearly two months later, on Christmas Eve, things had settled down to near- normalcy. The Knights had assumed their role as leaders of Prussia, and the rest of the duchy is controlled by squabbling counties and fiefs. All of whom declared loyalty to the new Duke, Werner, who was crowned Duke Werner I von Bismarck of Brandenburg- Teutonia that day. His head was the first to wear the Iron Crown, a crown forged from cast iron and encrusted with silver and gold designs, and interlaced with rubies and sapphires. Being made from iron, its appearance was unique in the Christian world, displaying the "Iron Will" of the Duke and his army, which was tempered with Teutonic training to become one of the world's most formidable. That same day, Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV released the Golden Bull, a document redefining the way the HRE was governed. In Berlin-Cölln, Brandenburg- Teutonia's capital, shock and anger filled the air as it was learned that the new duchy was not awarded an elector, despite the size and might of the nation. The stage was set for conflicts between the rising state and the ancient pseudo-empire. The only question was when?